Two Robots, Red As Blood
by Golden-dude
Summary: Protoman kills Wily, only to be frozen in time for centuries, and he awakes to a war torn world that needs a hero. Now Blues must join with the last of his enemy’s creations to battle man and machine alike to save what's left of this frozen world. . .
1. The Death of Albert Wily

**Two Robots, Red as Blood**

**By King Salad**

**Rated**: PG-13 (May Change To **R**)

**MM Series**:** Classic, Zero******

**Summary**: Protoman kills Wily, only to be frozen in time for centuries, and he awakes to a war torn world that needs a hero. Now Protoman must join with the last of his enemy's creations to battle man and machine alike to save what's left of this world. . .

**Author's Notes**:** This first chapter may be a little slow paced, only because it covers the history of Blues and Zero. Protoman will be going by both the US and Japan versions of his name. As for Dr. Light, he will stay Dr. Light, not Right, or Hikari, which if you don't know, Hikari means Light in Japanese.**

**T**he alarms we're buzzing along the entire cold lab, made from its bitter and icy steel. The young blue humanoid robot ran faster and faster along the tunnels of Wily's castle, his buster blasting away at the steel plated enemies who wouldn't let up. The old man wasn't far now, he hadn't expected Megaman to move so fast, he hadn't guessed that the sentinel guards were not enough to hold him. 

Megaman moved fast, but the old man's hovercraft was faster. It was round and smooth on the outside in its cold blue plating, not very unlike Megaman himself, thou built for a different reason. Over the blue round plating was a small crimson windshield that went along the entire circle of the craft. On the front was a large purple "W", the sigh of Wily, and inside the middle of the craft was Albert W. Wily himself, now old, nearing his later 70's, Wily could not hope to continue this madness any more. He had to finish what he began. It would soon be time.

But that time would have to wait, he realized, as a blast from Megaman's buster smashed into the side of his hovercraft. The stasis button was still only on the dashboard, he could have used it then. He did not. Instead he pressed another button, and the large purple "W" flipped up on a panel, and out of it came a large black gun. It aimed high, not at Megaman, but above him.

The blue bomber didn't see it coming as the blast hit the ceiling above him and exploded out, a large piece of the cruel and bitter steel on the roof came crashing down over Rock's body. He cried out, tried to move away, but it was too late. It caught him, crushing him beneath it. 

Megaman was a robot, but he was as close to human as any robot could ever be. He felt love, and hate, and greed, and compassion, and lust and wisdom and all the things that make us human. And maybe, as that piece of roof crushed him dead, he felt sorrow. For himself. For others. We shall never know.

Wily had been trying to kill Megaman for almost twenty years, and he had learned not to get his hopes up. Yet as he watched the blue bomber crush and die, he couldn't help but laugh. Small and quiet at first, but soon loud and crazy. Wily had done it! It was over.

The next thing he knew the buster shot crashed into the end of his gun that stuck from the purple "W", the laughing ended as the gun exploded into smoke and flame, a large piece of shrapnel flying out and stabbing him in his left eyes. Laugh turned to scream as blood from his eyes poured down his face. 

"I don't get it." 

Protoman said as he walked over, kicking away the rock over Megaman's body. He reached down and cupped his friend's lifeless head. Then he stood, closing his fist. He held the chip that contained Megaman's memory, as luck would have it; the chip wasn't as damaged as it could have been. 

"We've been playing this game for twenty years Wily. Twenty damn years. Neither you or Megaman ever had to die."

Wily was still frozen in pain, but it only grew, Blues fired off a shot from his buster into the left side of the hovercraft, it exploded, flames and metal flying into the left side of Wily's body, burning and stabbing. The old man screamed.

"But now . . . now Megaman is dead. He had to die. And so do you."

Wily heard these words and his mind, the small part that wasn't telling the body to scream and feel pain, knew what it must do. His left arm was useless now, but the right could move. He moved it towards the stasis button, and even as he tried to reach it, Protoman was charging his buster. The buster shot, the button was pressed, as the blast of light smashed into Wily's hovercraft and created an explosion that would surly kill the old man, the bright green and yellow lights shone, and the entire room was frozen in stasis. Protoman, Megaman's body, what was left of Wily and his craft. All frozen.

Dr. Light and Roll arrived later; they arrived to find the stasis room, as it was called from now on. Light sighed and left, unable to bear the sight of what was inside that room. Roll dropped to her knees and cried. It was over. They had for twenty years fought Wily. She was happy Wily was gone, but why did he have to take her brothers with him?

One hundred years passed, Dr. Light slipped into death long before they did, and Roll vanished altogether. As time goes on, things repeat. Megaman reappeared, a different Megaman. They called him X. Slowly as time went on X meet Zero, and so on went a battle against evil once more. That evil was, weather they knew it or would admit it, all made because of Dr. Wily, who died over 100 years ago. Time went on, X and Zero battled against the darkness, and in the end Zero was put in Stasis, not unlike Protoman 100 year before.

Another 100 years passed, and Zero left stasis. He too battled evil, and he too won in the end. He was reunited with X, and as time went on they once again battled against the darkness.

Then it was over. X was destroyed, both mind and body, and gone forever. Zero could no longer take the decay of society, so he left. He went off to live somewhere alone. And for years man and machine ruined their lives. Zero could no longer care of it.

It had been almost 800 years since Wily's death. 600 since Zero went away. That is when it happened. Heat became scarce. The sun stopped giving off heat. Or if it still gave heat no one could feel it. The world began to freeze over. Snow replaced rain. Ice replaced dirt. The world became one big frozen gem in the universe.

900 years since Wily's death. The world was frozen now. Heat could be generated, found maybe in rare, small places. And in these places you'd find man and machine living. For both races were nearly gone. Man needed heat to survive, or they would freeze. And machine needed the heat if they wanted to survive. Not as much as humans needed it, but eventually without the warmth they'd freeze over and lack movement. All would die.

And that is the problem, as history shows us. Heat was needed by humans and by robots. And so a man by the name of Li Sugihara I was the first. He decided that machines were useless. Sugihara believed that without the machines sucking up all the heat, mankind could survive longer.

And so he formed the REA, or Robotic Eradication Agency. Humans sighed up by the thousands, those who lived through the endless winter. Men, Women, Children, they all agreed with Sugihara. And it began. The robots fought back, but none so hard as a machine named Seven. He formed the "Lucky Seven." Seven robots that would fight against the REA to the death. In the end the Lucky Seven extended to thousands of robots, not just the seven leaders. But they were still the most known. Seven was the leader. Lean and green, with a spiked helmet, a buster shot, and a beam saber. He had wings, robotic wings, which he could retract if he needed to.

And so the REA and the Lucky Seven battled. The REA wanting to destroy robots, and the Seven, wanting to kill all humans. Not only the REA, but all humans.

A third side joined the battle almost twenty years later. A man named Matsuto Light created the Rider of Freedom. They bore their name from the hover bikes they road, an improved version of the normal hover bikes, made by Light. 

  
Li Sugihara died, and his grandson Li Sugihara III took over the REA. The seven kept battling, and Tai Light, grandson of Matsuto Light took over the Riders. The war lasted almost 100 years. Zero came back; he could no longer stay away, of course he joined the Riders, who fought to end the war of man and machine so that they could worry the real problem. Where had the heat gone?  
  


It had been 999 years since Dr. Wily was killed, and soon the 1000 anniversary would be here. And as that anniversary approached, none remembered. The name Albert Wily was listed only in history, and yet the only one who truly knew the impact of that name was Zero.

And it was here, just eight months short of the anniversary, that Blues would soon wake up. It was here that two robots, red as blood, would decide the fate of man and machine alike. . .


	2. Frozen in Time

**Two Robots, Red as Blood**

**By King Salad**

**Rated**: PG-13 (May Change To **R**)

**MM Series**:** Classic, Zero******

**Summary**: Protoman kills Wily, only to be frozen in time for centuries, and he awakes to a war torn world that needs a hero. Now Protoman must join with the last of his enemy's creations to battle man and machine alike to save what's left of this world. . .

**Author's Notes**:** This chapter will be a bit better than the first, because it gets into the new story. Also it contains a few curse words so you've been warned. ^_-**

**I**t was cold there. Of course, it was cold everywhere. Zero sighed as he walked along, the battle had ended almost an hour ago, but the bodies still burnt. The REA had been tracking what they believed was part of Lucky Seven, when in reality it had been Zero and his squad of riders. That didn't stop the REA, they attacked, lasers at full, cutting down man and machine. Zero's squad fired back, and soon the REA's attack force was gone, all dead.

Now Zero stepped through this carnage, dead humans and robots. He sighed as he walked over the frozen ground, stained with blood. 

"It's all useless Kat. Sometimes I regret ever coming back."

Kathryn Light was the sister of Tai, whom was the leader of the Riders. She had gone out with Zero's group, she wanted to fight, but Tai worried too much, so he would only allow her with his group or Zero's.

"Don't say that, you're the best we got."

She said as she hugged his arm lightly. He sighed and closed his eyes. This was true. Zero was the strongest of the Riders, but one robot was nothing. Each member of the Seven had as much, if not more power than Zero. And Sugihara III had a vast army.

"Maybe. But I'm not good enough."

Kat said nothing, instead she just punched him arm playfully and continued her walk. She was young and slim, with dark red hair that flowed down her back. Her green eyes shining beneath the hood of her winter suit like shining gems. It was those eyes that saw him first. She walked over, slowly at first, but faster as she moved. 

Zero saw her move, he saw her hit the ground and start digging in the snow. There was something sticking out, it looked like a green diamond. Zero joined her in the snow and also dug. Soon they had dug it out. A stasis cell. Or part of one. It had chipped off, as if from a larger piece. Inside was a robot, not as tall as Zero, and from the looks of him, very old.

"What do you suppose it is?"  
  
Kat asked.

"It's a robot. An old one. Older than me."

Zero responded.

This was something; Zero was the oldest surviving robot the Riders knew of. He sighed and looked at the stasis block. 

"Let's take him to Tai."  
  
Kat said a new hint in her voice.

  
"Maybe he can fix him."  
  
Zero shrugged. He would do it for her; nevertheless he didn't think this old robot could be fixed up. It was possible; of course, Zero himself had been in a stasis for over one hundred years, but this robot looked like he'd been in stasis much longer.

"Alright Kat."

He said. He wouldn't ruin her high spirits. An hour later Zero had loaded the stasis cell onto his hover bike, Kat sitting beside him. The bike moved with grace and speed over the icy ground towards their ship. The big ship, a flying battleship as big as a small city. It flew it's way back to the Cyneburga.

Cyneburga was the Rider's home city. There was a mountain range called the Cyneburga Peaks, and in the middle of the tallest peaks is a low valley, covered in ice like everything else. Round domes stuck up from out of the snow, these were homes. All metal and covered in ice, they lacked beauty, but sustained life.

  
Of all the domes there was a large one in the north of the town, it was there the aging Matsuto Light lived. Tai and Kat, his grandkids, lived nearby in their own domes. But Matsuto lived in the lab.

The battleship could not land within the city, part of it's defense. The peaks would allow no ship of war entrance without having to blast their way through rock and ice, which made enough noise to allow the riders to attack back. Instead the ship warped it's crew down. Zero, Kat, the crew, and the stasis block, all transported to the lab.

"Hey!"  
  
Tai was back, youthful, but older than his sister, and bigger, much taller and more built than Kathryn was. His hair was brown and plastered over his head in a spiky style he loved. His eyes were pale blue, and lacked the shimmer of his sisters emerald green ones.

Kat hugged him, and then broke away. Tai nodded to Zero, and then looked at the stasis block. His face broke into a grin.

  
"What is that?"  
  
He was already next to the block, looking at the robot inside. It was great. Old. Very old. Maybe from the early 2000's. Oh what a find!

"Take it inside! Lets see if we can't thaw him out!"

Tai ordered. The crew, both robot and human, did as he commanded. The block was soon sat on a table in the lab.

The lab room was small and round, like all rooms in Cyneburga, but it was filled with interesting machines. Lights always blinking, sounds being made, it was a place of love for scientist. And while Tai was a soldier, he also loved the mechanics. It was his grandfather's lab, but his grandfather was too old to use it, so it was Tai's.

Tai was hooking machines to the stasis block, thawing it, while at the same time trying to search their databanks to see if they could ID the robot inside. If he was made anytime in the last 600 years it was hopeless, for many rouge robots were made with no proper ID, but if he was indeed as old as Tai believed, he may be IDed.

And so he was. Tai's face broke into a smile as he watched the ID flick up. It was only a 68% match, but Tai thought that was because of the age, and the stasis and carbon scoring on the robot.

"Well Tai, did you ID him?"

Zero asked as he watched the stasis melt away over the red and gray robot.

"Yeah I did. Holy Damn Zero, yeah I did."

Now Zero and Kat looked up. Whenever Tai broke into cursing it meant he was excited or really pissed off. 

"Who is he bro?" Kat asked she was giddy now; the excitement was too much for her. Her hands and legs shook with excitement.

"Who? Unless I'm wrong, it's Prototype V.01, Blues Protoman."

The name meant nothing to Zero or Kat, who didn't study the files like Tai did. He sighed seeing they didn't know.

"It's the first humanoid robot Thomas Light ever built."

That worked. Kat squealed with delight and looked at the now half-unthawed body in the stasis block. Zero raised an eyebrow.

"Tai. That would mean he's over one thousand years old."  
  


Tai nodded excitingly.

"Yeah. I wonder if I could repair him? I mean, I'd have to replace most of his old technology with some of the newer stuff, but I could still try to fix him up."

Tai would spend forever working on a machine if he though he could make it better or make it work again. He loved working on stuff. Kat sighed and looked at the robot. There was something there. Something she couldn't put her finger on yet.

Zero turned and left the lab. Then out the round door of the round dome and out into the snowy round town. He looked up into the air. Then it happened. There was a blast of flame in the sky. The REA. They never attacked the town itself, inside were too many innocent people, they didn't want to kill humans, only machines. 

Zero ran foreword, the alarms were already sounding, robots and humans were leaving their homes with beam sabers and busters and lasers flickering and blasting away. 

  
The REA ship was already leaving, flying away, though it was raining several blasts of flames and laser onto the city. Zero watched it fly away and something struck him. 

"No. You're just getting like this because you found that Fuggin' ancient robot. It's just the REA. You're just remembering those things."

Yet it didn't comfort him, his own words didn't make it better, and the words of others could not either. The ship was gone, some small fighters were after it but they'd never catch it and the town needed repairs.

  
"It's just coincidence."

Even as Zero said these words to himself he could feel it inside that it was not. . .


	3. Zero Sees Dead People

**Two Robots, Red as Blood**

**By King Salad**

**Rated**: PG-13 (May Change To **R**)

**MM Series**:** Classic, Zero******

**Summary**: Protoman kills Wily, only to be frozen in time for centuries, and he awakes to a war torn world that needs a hero. Now Protoman must join with the last of his enemy's creations to battle man and machine alike to save what's left of this world. . .

**Author's Notes**:** This chapter will be a bit better than the first, because it gets into the new story. Also it contains a few curse words so you've been warned. ^_-**

**Z**ero wasn't sound that night. He sat on the balcony of his small, round, steel dome-like house. Each of the house-domes had a small balcony. Kathryn Light could often be seen on hers, she loved it. She claimed it helped her clear her mind to be out there, so maybe Zero would try it.

Hours had passed since the unprovoked attack. A message from Sugihara claimed that it was not the REA who attacked Cyneburga. That it was the Seven trying to frame them. The Seven denied this claim an hour later and announced it was all the REA's plan to try to get the Rider's on their side. 

Zero didn't know who to believe, nor did he care. He was disturbed because of what he'd seen on that ship. It was hard to tell from the distance, but it looked so much like _him_.

'_No Zero, you're just overreacting. You don't know what the hell you're talking about. X is dead! He can't have been on that ship dammit!_'

Even as he thought it, or said it aloud, he saw what he'd saw. He knew. Unless he was wrong, which he wished and hoped and prayed he was, X was on that ship. X was attacking Cyneburga. . .

'_NO! X is dead dammit! You watched him die! You watched him die years ago! Stop it Zero!_' 

But he could not stop. He jumped form the balcony, landing gracefully on his feet. With a heavy sigh he made his way over to the largest of the round domes where Tai Light was still working on Blues Protoman, who was unthawed but not responsive.

Into the round door Zero went after entering the pass codes and made him way to the lab. He opened the door but Tai didn't say anything, he was bent over the ancient body of Protoman, working and trying to repair him.

"Hey Z."

He said at last, getting up and wiping his sweaty brow on his already dirty sleeve.

"I'm almost done. His old hardware is way too far-gone to supply enough power to get him online, but I can replace it with some new stuff. I'm hoping to have him up and running by tomorrow. God, won't it be exciting Z? I mean, I know his memory will probably be shaky, but he can get it back. Think of everything we could learn! I mean. . . what's on your mind Z?"

Tai could ramble on forever, honestly for days on end, if you let him. But seeing the look on Zero's face made him stop.

"I can't explain. I just. . . I came to get leave sir."

Zero and Tai were friends, and Zero only recognized Tai as his superior officer when they were out in official military duty. Besides, the humans always saw Tai as the leader, but most robots would, if Zero asked them too, disobey Tai's orders. The robots saw Zero as their leader. But Zero served Tai, so no robot doubted Tai. It was by chance, or perhaps fate, that Tai shared his last name with Dr. Light. Now, after 1000 years between the two's life span, no one could really think Tai was the great-great-great-ect grandson of Light, it was absurd! But that didn't stop some from thinking it.

"Leave? And where are you going Z?"

Tai said, not dropping the casual talk for the military.

"That ship that attacked. I don't know if they were REA or Seven or whatever, but. . . I have to go after them."

Tai looked into the robot's eyes and sighed.

"Why Zero?"

Zero took his time responding. For several minutes he didn't speak. Then at last he spoke again.

  
"X was on that's ship."  
  
Tai stopped. X died many years before Tai was ever born or conceived, but he was indeed familiar with the stories.

"Z. . . X has been dead for a long time."  
  


"I know." Zero said, now looking away. "But it was him. And if not him, then a new X. Look, I can't explain how I know. I mean, I thought I saw him. . . but I _felt_ him too. Just give me leave sir. Or I'll have to go on my own and be a renegade."

Tai sighed and nodded.

"You have my leave Z. I can't have you as an enemy. But Z, you gotta promise me something."  
  


Zero knew what was coming. It was wrong for any human and robot to fall in love. The REA and Seven both would kill any of their kind who loved the other kind. As for the Rider's, they frowned on it. It could tear apart the Rider's, it could destroy them. But Zero broke that rule. Kathryn and he had never said it out loud to one another, nor had they ever even kissed. But it was well known there was something between them. Tai didn't say a word about it ever.

"You better come back to her. My sis. . . she shouldn't like you. But she does. And I won't stop her. You have to come back for her Z. Because if you don't come back, if you break her heart I'll. . ."

"I'll be back Tai."  
  
"In one piece?"  
  


"I hope so."  
  
Tai stuck out his gloved hand, the glove was brown and leather and much too big for him, and Zero took it and shook his hand. Tai sighed as the blond robot released his hand.

"And hey Tai, you do something for me. Get this Blues fellow online for when I get back."  
  
"What, I mean, I will, but why?" 

Tai was a bit confused. He knew ever since Protoman was IDed that his old friend had felt some connection.

"Because he was the inspiration."

  
This didn't help Tai at all, and he had to ask:

  
"What inspiration?"

"Wily's inspiration. When he built me."

Zero left the lab at these words, and Tai watched him leave. He turned back to the body of Blues.

"Well I'll be damned. The first and the last. Unbelievable."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Kathryn woke up the next morning in her round home made of steel and covered in ice. It was cold, almost as cold as it could ever be. Cyneburga was built because there was a natural heat source at this place, and it was enough to heat the houses a bit. 

Kat rose from the bed, her long red hair falling down her nude back like a stream of red flames down a pale but silky river bed. She sighed and walked over to the dresser, putting her hair up into a bun and then gathering clothes. She dressed in a hurry, when you're under a thick blanket covered in warm fur, then being nude isn't a problem, but when your not and just walking in the cold air it's a definite problem. And there was no heater to warm you up later.

After dressing she left the house, walking along the snowy round, the white snow was fluffy and wonderful, or it would have been. Kat liked the snow, it was fun to play in when she was a child, and still she enjoyed it as a young lady. However, she would love to see one spring in her lifetime. She heard stories or flowers, and trees with leafs, and while there were the thick fur trees, she heard of other kinds of trees. And flowers! Spring would be nice. But that wish was wished by many people over the many years since heat became scarce.

She was on her way to the lab, where her brother Tai probably slept while working on that Blues. She liked Blues, he reminded her of Zero. She had a crush on Zero. It was his personality. He had a cold chill on the outside, but he had a huge surge of love and justice inside. She loved that about him. But he was a robot, and it was wrong for human and robot to love.  
  
Why? For one, it could cause problems. And when man and machine are in a war, a Romeo and Juliet love story is not needed. For two, they couldn't have children. It was impossible. Though robot and human could have sex, no children could be born. And for three, the most important of all, humans die in age, robots do not. And that was bad.

She arrived at the lab, pushing her feelings for Zero aside, and entering the lab. She made her way into it, where Blues was still lying on the cot, not alive but not dead either. Tai was sitting at the computer, typing away.

  
"Hey sis. . ."

She instantly knew something was wrong from the tone of his voice. She knew something happened. 

"What's wrong?"  
  
Tai cussed himself out mentally, he could never cover it up.

"You better sit down Kat."

She moved slowly near him, sitting on the end of the cot that held Protoman. Her brother turned around in the chair to face her, running a hand through his spiked chocolate hair.

"It's Zero, isn't it?"  
  
She said, already aware of the awnser.

"Yeah."  
  
"What happened? Is he hurt?"  
  
Tai shook his head.

"No sis. He left. He went after that REA ship that attacked yesterday."  
  


Tai didn't think she needed to know that the reason Zero had left was because he believed his dead best friend was alive and working for the REA. Of course, if Zero was right, it could be a turning point in the war. X was a machine. And the REA hated machines. If X was on that ship it meant either A) The REA were secretly using robots, which could lose them tons of public support and maybe help end the war, or B) that ship wasn't the REA. And the Seven didn't use battleships like that, which meant . . . who was it?

Kat didn't speak. She just sat there in silence. Zero went after a entire battleship by himself? That was suicide!

"And you let him go?"

Kat said, anger swelling up.

"Kat. I had to."  
  
Kathryn didn't want to hear this, she stood up and ran from the lab. Tai stood and started after her but stopped with a sigh. She wouldn't go anywhere.

Outside she did go somewhere, however. To the hover bike range. The guard didn't stop her, she was the boss's sister. She took her brother's bike. It had a tracker on it for the other bikes. Luckily Zero had taken his own bike, she could track it. And so she left Cyneburga to go after Zero. She would find him and help him. 

Or so she thought. . .


	4. Awakening

**Two Robots, Red as Blood**

**By King Salad**

**Rated**: PG-13 (May Change To **R**)

**MM Series**:** Classic, Zero******

**Summary**: Protoman kills Wily, only to be frozen in time for centuries, and he awakes to a war torn world that needs a hero. Now Protoman must join with the last of his enemy's creations to battle man and machine alike to save what's left of this world. . .

**Author's Notes**:** Ok, Chapter Four is here. Now it gets going. Blues will wake up, and Zero and Kat will get into some serious trouble! Now is when it gets good folks!**

Oh and an important note, I know the storyline in the real games, and I know parts of my fanfic go against the actual MMC, MMX and MMZ storylines. But remember, **THIS IS A FANFIC** and I'm doing things however I want to. ^.^

**Z**ero had left the lab and made his way to the hover bike area, taking his bike Tai had built for him he left. The guards didn't question him, he was too well respected. 

He left Cyneburga, taking the mountain trail. The battleship was much faster and had a head start, but Zero was determined to catch it. If X was on that ship. . .

'_X is dead. All you're doing is wasting Tai's time and hurting Kat. Get off your Fuging bad memories and get back there._'

He said that to himself a hundred times in a hundred ways, but he couldn't get it out of his head. He had seen a blue and white robot on the ship. But he had felt X. It had to be him. It was him.

If Zero knew that Kathryn would soon wake up, learn what he did, and follow him, hey may have stayed. He would not have her in harm's way. But he had no choice. He did not know. And he could not save her this time. That was someone else's job.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Tai sat in his lab with a sigh. He did not know that Kathryn had already left to go after Zero; he did not know that she was in danger. He was preoccupied. Blues was still unresponsive, and that had Tai down. Maybe he should just give up and put Protoman in a museum.

He was seriously considering this as he turned to his computer. He had a large black leather chair; it faced away from the cot where Blues body lay. It faced a large computer. He was typing, making more research logs, battle plans, when suddenly he heard a noise. He turned the chair around and found Blues no long lying down, but sitting up, rubbing his head.

"You're awake!"  
  
Tai screamed with delight. Blues saw this and aimed his buster at him. Blues looked the same as he had before, the same old armor full of carbon scoring and blast marks, same helmet. But the insides had been repaired and replaced. Normally Tai would have upgraded him, bring him up-to-speed with the 30XX technology, but even now, 1000 years later, no scientist could match the wits of Thomas Light or Albert Wily, and so Protoman was already more advanced than most, except perhaps Zero or Seven.

"Whoa. Take it easy."  
  


"Who are you?"

Tai smiled and sat back in his chair, this time facing Protoman.

"My name is Tai Light. You're in my lab in the mountain town of Cyneburga."

Protoman thought for a moment before he spoke. 

"Light . . . are you related to. . . Thomas Light?"

It was amazing, Tai thought. It took Blues time, from the hibernation and the repairs and such, but he seamed to have more memory than Tai could have ever expected.

"I don't think so. Dr. Thomas Light died a long time ago. I think it's just by chance I have the same last name. But, I never have checked my family tree all the way back to his day, so I could be."

"His day? . . . What . . . what year is this?"

Blues was having trouble; it was obvious, remembering anything. But he would regain it, and, as he seamed to have some idea of it, maybe he'd regain it faster than normal.

"The year is 30XX. You've been frozen in stasis, as far as I can tell from the carbon dating I did on you, for about 1000 years."

Blues shook his head, not in disbelief, though it looked that way, but to try to think.

"But . . . how?"  
  
Tai shook his head.

  
"I have no clue. You were found by my sister and my friend Zero. Listen, I know it's gotta be weird, waking up after 1000 years. And I can't give you many answers. Anyway, you're welcome to plug into our databanks and download my files. I have several thousand files on history, but I'm afraid it's not very complete."

Blues didn't speak. He did lower his buster cannon, but he didn't speak. Tai sat and looked at him for a while, and Blues seamed to be thinking, trying to remember. At last the robot spoke.

"Where's Wily?"

Tai's face suddenly broke into a look of surprise and curiosity.

"Wily? Judging by your age . . . do you mean Albert Wily? You knew him? Well, of course you knew him, our databanks say . . . well to answer your question, I have no clue. Why?"

Protoman shook his head again. Thinking more.

"I . . . I was frozen with him. In stasis."  
  
"What? How!?"  
  
Tai was going crazy with excitement; it was wonderful hearing him talk about things that took place 1000 years ago. It's amazing to him.

"I . . . I don't know. I can't remember. I just know . . . Wily."

Tai nodded, a bit disappointed, but still excited.

"Listen, Blues, or do you prefer Protoman? I don't know.  Anyway, listen, you're welcome to stay in my lab all you want. But I do ask you don't leave the lab, no one but me and Zero and my sister know you so the guards may be suspicious. Go ahead and download the history files and we'll talk later, ok?"

Blues nodded, without saying another word. So much was on his mind. 30XX? He'd been frozen for 1000 years? Where was Wily? _Who was Wily? He had a million memories but couldn't understand any of them. Like another million were missing._

* * * * * * * * * * *

Zero was almost there now, he could tell. The radar on his bike didn't show the ship nearby, but he could _feel something inside. He knew. X was around here. He had to be._

The hover bike was almost flying its way down the snowy path, icy sheets beneath buzzing by in the wind as the bike neared the end of the mountain paths. There was a cave ahead; he'd have to go through the cave to reach the outside of the mountains, where he could follow the battleship much faster, and find X much sooner.

The bike entered the cave, the blond rider on the edge of his seat as he whipped by in the darkness. Rock formations and ice all around him. Ice everywhere. Just like everywhere. Zero could feel anger burning up inside him from the ice. He hated this cold. Heat was gone. It wasn't coming back. Only artificial heat. Artificial everything.

Zero was getting so upset again that he never saw it coming, he never saw the blast fly out. The end of his bike was hit with the buster shot, Zero swerved off course and into a large rock covered in a sheet of bitter ice.

"Normally you have others with you Zero."

Zero pulled himself up, despite the rather painful crash, and turned to face him.

  
Seven was built about 100 years ago, by whom, neither he nor anyone else knew. His body was covered in green armor that resembled Zero's, but different. A throwback to an old robot called Bass Forte, whom no one of the day, with the possible exception of Tai Light who loved history, remembered. On Seven's back were long wings that he could retract, they were black. And flowing out from under his green and black helmet was long white hair, not like Zero's hair, which fell over his back; Seven's fell down either side of his body over the shoulders and draped him almost like a cape. On Seven's left hand was a buster arm cannon, like Zero's. In the right he held a beam saber. It was red as blood and it glowed with a deadly light.

"Damn you Seven."

Zero activated his own green beam saber and looked on at the white haired robot before him. Seven smirked and walked around. The leader of the Lucky Seven didn't show himself very often, but Zero had met him before. Seven, as well as the other six masters of the Lucky Seven, were built in the image of Zero, because of his power and fame from the Maverick Wars, as they were now called.

"Damn me? Maybe if you knew how to pay attention to where you're driving."

Zero fired a buster shot, but Seven was too fast, dodging it by far and allowing the explosion to explode harmlessly behind him.

"Come on now Zero, you can fight better than that!"  
  


Zero said nothing. He knew neither one of them would wind up dying today. Seven and Zero had battled many times in the past, and not one of them ever died, ever. Seven just liked to play. 

Seven charged, dashing as fast as he could, his beam saber flaring out in front of him, Zero counted with his own saber, sparks of red and green exploded all around and the two robots grunted and sneered as they held strong. Finally Seven broke away, falling backwards. Before Zero could attack in any way Seven had fired a buster shot and the blond robot was caught in his chest. Seven then stood, his long black metal wings now sticking out from beneath the cascade of long white hair.

"Sorry Zero, I can't afford to die today. I have things to do in Cyneburga. I guess you should be heading that way to stop me, eh? Or are you going after X?"

Zero stopped, and looked foreword into Seven's face. The white haired robot smirked and began to laugh.  
  
"Yeah, I know about X. I know a lot more than you'd think. Now you better get going if you hope to find him."

Zero wanted to wait and ask how Seven knew. But he knew that if he pushed Seven their would be a fight to the death, and Zero was weak from the crash, it could be his death.

Zero stood and began to run in the opposite direction, Seven was laughing, but he didn't give chase. Finally Zero disappeared from sight and Seven then glowed with a blue light. No longer was Seven standing there, for the true Seven was miles away. Instead a blue robot stood. He looked like Megaman. A cross, perhaps, between X and Rock, yet not quite either one of them.

"Run along Zero, you go looking for me. You'll find me soon enough old friend."

'Megaman' then turned and faced the path that led back to Cyneburga.

"And as for you, dear brother Blues, well, we didn't plan on you showing up, but I'm sure once I get this news back to the Island we can find a use for you too."

And a use they would find, but that is a story that will have to wait . . .


	5. All Up The Upward Climb

**Two Robots, Red as Blood**

**By King Salad**

**Rated**: PG-13 (May Change To **R**)

**MM Series**:** Classic, Zero******

**Summary**: Protoman kills Wily, only to be frozen in time for centuries, and he awakes to a war torn world that needs a hero. Now Protoman must join with the last of his enemy's creations to battle man and machine alike to save what's left of this world. . .

**Author's Notes**:** Ok, Chapter Fiver is here. Now Blues and Tai will get into some trouble of their own, Kat runs into problems, and Zero gets closer to finding X.**

Oh and an important note, I know the storyline in the real games, and I know parts of my fanfic go against the actual MMC, MMX and MMZ storylines. But remember, **THIS IS A FANFIC** and I'm doing things however I want to. ^.^

**K**athryn Light, now nineteen, was blazing over the snow covered ground on her brother Tai's hover bike. She had left over six hours ago, and she was surprised that Tai had not chased after her yet. 

The reason for this is Tai did not yet know of her leaving, because he'd been busy with Blues. She did not know this, and even if she did it wouldn't change a thing. Of course she felt something when she was around Protoman's body. 

What it was, she did not know. She did not know that many, many years ago, when Albert Wily had created Zero, whom she loved, he had done so using the image of Blues. Zero was to be a combination of Megaman, Bass and Protoman. That way he could stop them all. Of course, Wily's plans did not go right.

Her bike zoomed over the ground; she was nearing the start of the Upward Climb. A long, steep path up one of the mountain peaks. It leads to a large, dark cave. The very cave where 'Megaman' appeared before Zero in the form of Seven. She did not know what happened.

Kat hit the Upward Climb with full force, urging her bike to move faster up the hill. And it did. She was tired, though she had slept sound last night, her worry of Zero, and her dread of the worry she would cause Tai overwhelmed her. But now wasn't the time to stop.

'_Not far now Kat. Once you hit the cave and get out the other side you'll be able to see for miles._'

It was then she remembered the radar, quickly she moved one of her numb hands onto the control panel and flipped it on. Her green eyes, still shining like gems despite the worry, flicked to the small radar screen. It showed the locations of all the hover bikes within 100 miles of the one she was on. She ran a scan on Zero's Bike's ID number and found it was stopped in the Dark Cave at the end of the Upward Climb.

She sighed as was overcome with a crippling fear. It seamed horrible. Why would Zero have just stopped? What was the point of stopping in the middle of a dark cave?

'_Unless he's wounded. . ._'

She kicked her foot onto the accelerator and speed up, the bike was moving as fast as it would go. She urged it faster, her entire body shaking in the rush of the wind and the speed of the bike's acceleration. It was moving at a speed so great that if she were to crash, it would be undoubtedly deadly.

The cave was looming into view, the radar beeps and showed that soon she would arrive in the cave where she'd find Zero, hopefully an ok, not hurt Zero, but her hopes were low and her spirits as cold as the world around her.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Zero was almost out of that dark, dreary cave. It had a depressing air to it and a tune of death was humming in Zero's ears. The song seamed to come from all over and yet from no where but his own head.   
  
He could now see the end of the cave, smoldering in his sights not far ahead, but still far enough that he was in a bad mood. Zero was mad now, and he would stay mad until he found X. 

It was then he first heard it, thinking at first that it was just the mysterious song of the cave, he ignored it. But as he let his foot falls slow, any doubt was erased from his mind. Voices. Speaking. Someone was speaking.

He quickly veered off to his left, beam saber still glowing with its majestic green light as he made his way up a large hill of rock and granite. Upon the top he looked down over a low pit, it was the end of the cavern; the light illuminated the cavern with an eerie, almost supernatural light.

Standing at the doors of the cavern were men. Dressed in suits of black, gold and gray stripes decorated it. They had helmets that covered their entire heads of hair, but allowed their faces to be seen. They were armed forces of the REA.

  
First a REA battleship attacks a civilian town, and then REA soldiers are seen at the edge of the settlement? No. Zero knew X was on that ship. X was alive and he was on a REA battleship?  
  
That made no sense. First, because the Riders of Freedom were the 'moderators'. They were the army that hadn't taken sides, only fought when they though they needed. If the REA attacked a Rider's civilian town then it was possible the Rider's may align themselves with the Lucky Seven. Why would the REA risk that? Li Sugihara III, the REA's leader, was against killing civilians, no matter what.

And moreover than that, why would the REA use a robot? X was not human, as much as he may act like it sometimes. The REA hated robots and reploids and any kind of machine that had a mind of its own.

'_Then why was X on that ship?_'

And now Zero found a squad of soldiers here, only a few hours journey away from Cyneburga. Was Zero wrong? Maybe X wasn't alive. . .

'_Maybe you're just crazy. It could be a virus. Or maybe Wily just made you so that if you cared too much about anyone you'd go nuts. Who the hell knows?_'

The REA troops may or may not have recognized Zero if he approached them. If they knew who he was, of his status in the Riders, they would not be able to afford to attack him. However he was a machine, and if they didn't recognize him, they'd attack. And there were a lot of them, at least twenty men he could see. More outside, most likely. 

But wait . . . it hit Zero then:

'_If the REA did already attack a civilian town, what's the different if they attack me? Damn them! I have to find X, but there is no way I'll make it through the lot of them._'

Zero could have slaughtered all of the men, he had the strength, but he was wounded from his battle with Seven (Or who he believed was Seven), and they had guns.

It was 30XX, and the guns he REA troops carried could fire thin, red laser beams. They lasers ate through metal of any kind, through any natural stone, any synthetic creation. Zero could survive those beams long enough to kill most of them, but could he beat all of them, after already being this wounded?  
  


No.

Zero would just have to wait, he'd have to stay on this damn hill and wait for the REA to move on so he could follow X. It was the safest, smartest idea he could do.

And that idea didn't work . . .

* * * * * * * * * * *

Tai was now still in his same chair, Blues on the cot. Blues had spent the last few hours, well into mid day, downloading the files from Tai's computer.

Most of the files of 20XX were destroyed, as you well know. But Dr. Light, for whatever reason, downloaded several files into the same capsules he left for Megaman X. Tai had studied these capsules after Zero told him the stories that X had told him. Tai had found several files, and learned much that was lost.

Still, despite the thousands of files he had dating from 20XX-30XX, there were millions more missing that he would never find. And most of his were incomplete, or only guesses of what actually happened. Blues had regained much of his memory, but it was still shaky and he still felt as if he was forgetting something important.

It was then, as Tai was speaking with Blues about the past, when the guard came in. He was a robot, tall and covered in black armor. His named was Neo and he was the twin of Neon, another of the guards in the town.

"Sir!"  
  
Tai turned, Neo stopped and stared at Blues, but Tai spoke up.

"This is Protoman. He's my friend. Now what did you need Neo?"

Neo looked nervous, as if the news was bad. Tai could tell right away.

"What is it Neo?"

"Zero left the town last night."  
  
Tai stopped and looked at him. That wasn't his news. He could read Neo's eyes.

"Yes, I gave him my permission, not that he needs it in all fairness. But that isn't what's troubling you."  
  


Neo nodded and then spoke again, slowly.

"Ms. Kathryn left this morning, on your bike."

Now Tai knew. He was filled with anger in a second.

  
"What? And you let my sister leave?"  
  
"Sir . . . she is _your sister_. I was afraid to stop her. Had I known you didn't want her to leave --"

Tai waved it off with his gloved hand and gave a deep sigh. Anger gave way and left, to make room for fear and worry.

"Dammit. Well I have to go after her."  
  
Tai stood and started to the door, when a voice spoke. At first he didn't recognize it, but that was because its owner had rarely spoken so far. It was Blues.

"I'm coming with you."

Tai raised an eyebrow and looked at the robot. 

"You are? Why?"

Blues stared back up, from behind the dark visor on his helmet that looked almost like sunglasses.

"Because there is no reason for me to stay in this lab like a test dummy. Because it's my choice where I go and what I do. Because you're angry will probably get yourself killed, and because I owe you and your sister my life, and I always repay my debts."

Tai was taken aback by the awnser, for a robot that had been frozen in stasis for 1000 years, had little memory of anything; he sure knew what he wanted and when he wanted it. Tai smiled and nodded.

  
"Alright."

And so Tai and Blues left Cyneburga, on their way, on hover bike, up the Upward Climb and to the Dark Cave. The radar showed that right now, they were just outside of town, Kathryn was near Dark Cave, and Zero was stopped inside the cave.

  
Neither Tai nor Blues spoke, just waiting to get to whatever would come.

And none of them could have guessed what was to come. . .

* * * * * * * * * * *

**Author's Note**:  Ok, just so you know, I'm going to try to get as many as three more chapters done today, I'm going to **TRY. I may have as few as no more than this, and as many as three, maybe four, I don't know. It depends on how I feel. **

And thanks, Amy14, for the review. ^.^


	6. Megaman RX

**Two Robots, Red as Blood**

**By King Salad**

**Rated**: PG-13 (May Change To **R**)

**MM Series**:** Classic, Zero******

**Summary**: Protoman kills Wily, only to be frozen in time for centuries, and he awakes to a war torn world that needs a hero. Now Blues must join with the last of his enemy's creations to battle man and machine alike to save what's left of this frozen world. . .

**Author's Notes**:** Chappie Seven…**

Oh and an important note, I know the storyline in the real games, and I know parts of my fanfic go against the actual MMC, MMX and MMZ storylines. But remember, **THIS IS A FANFIC** and I'm doing things however I want to. ^.^

**Z**ero was still in his same hiding spot, up, crouched on the hill. It was cold in the cave, as it was everywhere, but he was tired and in a hurry. X was alive, he knew it. X had to be alive. X had stolen that REA ship . . . they'd find X and he'd join the Rider's and help end the war.

No. Zero knew that X was dead. Who ever the robot had been on the ship, they had only looked like X, they were not he. And yet he couldn't help but think it was.

  
The REA attack squad was still down. He could now see all of them, nineteen men with guns, all crouched around a small fire in their black uniforms with strips of gold and gray. Zero had thought of many different ways to sneak past them, or kill them, or distract them, but none of them seamed feasible.  

'_Damn them._' He thought. '_Damn them all to hell. I need to find X!_'

It was then that Zero stood up, drawing himself to his full, menacing height, buster cannon on his arm ready to fire, beam saber in his hand ready to slash away. He'd be killed, but it was better than sitting around forever.

He would have jumped then, and it would have been the end of him, I'm afraid, oh, he'd have taken some of the REA with him, but all in all it'd be the end of Zero. It was lucky that, at that very time, Kathryn Light, the young and stubborn redhead whom had follower her forbidden lover to this desolate cave, called out his name.

"Zero! Where are you?"

Zero stopped, his legs were already bent for the jump. The voice reached his ears and even before he could breathe he knew it was Kat.

"What the hell was that?"

The REA were on their feet, guns ready, they aimed, and Zero watched in horror as Kathryn's fair young face appeared at the top of the path.

"Halt!"  
  
The man, who was in the front, closest to where Kathryn was walking, wore a bright green patch on his chest plate of the suit. He was their leader. His rifle was aimed at the young Kat and he was ready to kill.

"The REA? What the hell? These caves are civilian ground under protection of the Riders!"

Kat had a pistol on her belt, of course it was no 21st century weapon that fired bullets, no, instead it had lasers that could burn through skin and bone and metal.

The REA troops made no move of lowering their weapons.

"Who are you, and what do you have to do with the riders?"

Their leader was speaking again. His gun was aimed at her. Zero watched, and waited. If he attacked now they may kill Kathryn.

"My name is Kathryn Light and my brother is the Leader of the Riders, and if you kill me the REA will be making open war on the Riders!"

The Riders of Freedom, thus far, were on neither side. Not supporting the Lucky Seven or the Robotic Eradication Agency. They attacked both sides, and acted more as 'moderator' for them. It was war, and war has no rules, but the Rider's were liked by civilians of both the Seven and the REA, and since Tai Light hadn't allied himself with either side, both sides wanted their help.

"You lie."

The REA captain made no move of lowering his gun, and Zero knew it was now or never.

"KAT DOWN!"

Kathryn heard his words but didn't obey, the REA turned but it wasn't fast enough, the captain was caught in the throat with Zero's beam saber, as were two of his soldiers. The three men fell dead as Zero blasted his buster at the rest of them. An explosion engulfed the area, the REA were now blasting blindly at the smoke with their guns, but Zero was moving. He grabbed Kat around her slim waist and then dashed with all his might. He moved, beam saber in front, through the smoke, killing two more REA troops, and then out the cave exit with Kat still in his arms.

Zero and Kathryn were now in a snow drift, hiding underneath the layers of snow, near the frozen soil. Both lay with their bodies covered from head to toe in the wet white snow, but their mouths were near the surface. They could whisper to one another, but only quietly. And moving was defiantly a no-go.

"What are you doing Kat?"

"I came to find you. I was worried."  
  
"I'm fine."

"No you're not. I saw those marks. You got in a fight." Kathryn said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"With who? The REA?"  
  
"No. It was Seven."  
  
"Lucky Seven is here?"  
  
"No, I mean Seven himself."

"What? Are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah . . . it was weird. He was acting odd. I don't think it was the real Seven. More like . . . I don't know." 

Zero tried to explain, but couldn't. He had no clue that the 'Seven' he battled was indeed 'Megaman'.

"What do you mean?"  
  
"Shhhh. Someone's coming."

Both Kathryn and Zero stopped talking. Someone was moving towards them. Zero peered around as well as he could without moving, and he gasps at what he saw. He sat up straight, no longer concerned with his or Kat's safety. She joined him in a minute.

The REA troops were running, some screaming, some already dead. Behind them Megaman was walking slowly, aiming his buster and then firing a single shot with deadly accuracy into the head of one of them.

It looked like Megaman, or so Zero thought. On further inspection it looked both like Rock and X, and he couldn't tell which one. It was the oddest thing he'd ever seen.

"X!"  
  


Megaman kept walking, without stopping. On his left was a buster; in his right was a blue beam saber, like Zero's. He jumped into the air and fired a huge blast from the buster, it flew at the remaining REA men, who were no on their knees begging for life, they died just as it hit, burning their skin off the bone as they fell into death.

"X! What are you doing?"  
  
Finally Megaman turned around; Zero was now on his feet, staring at the person who looked like his old friend. It was then that Megaman's face cracked a evil smirk.

"Ahhh. Zero. I hoped too see you."

The voice that spoke sounded like X, but at the same time it had another air to it, like it was not his own, but it was. Everything was so confusing. Everything looked like what it was, but it also looked like what it was not.

"Who are you? X?"

Megaman shook his head slowly, a mad glint still shining in his dark eyes.

"My name . . . what a question. Do you mean my birth name? Or perhaps my rebirth name? Or the name of my body? In any case you may call me Megaman. Or RX if you prefer."  
  


Zero walked towards him, but RX shook his head once more and aimed his buster.

"No, no Zero. That is quite far enough. You aren't my friend and you aren't my ally. But you could be if you wished. Or do you wish to fulfill your purpose?"

Zero looked into the dark eyes of RX, much darker than X's had ever been.

"My purpose?"

  
Megaman moved his head to the side at a tilt, much like a confused dog.

  
"We all have a purpose. Weather a man, the creation of God, or a robot, the creation or man, we all have a purpose. You were created to kill Megaman. That is the purpose Albert W. Wily gave you. You have yet to do it."  
  


Zero didn't move his eyes from the eyes of RX. It was odd. As much as Zero felt this was his old friend, he knew it was not.

"So then, you have a choice I suppose Zero. You can join with me, join and break your purpose. You can join me and end this war, or you can die."  
  
Zero didn't speak for a long time, and then at last he said:

  
"How would you end this war X, er, RX?"

Megaman smiled. Almost as if he hoped for that question.  
  
"Why, by destroying the REA, the Lucky Seven, and the Rider's of Freedom. By killing everyone who fights in it and leaving only those who serve me. That is the way to end a war."

Zero closed his eyes and fell to his knees. This was not the reploid he had known. This was not X. This was a insane creation, created by who he did not know, but did not care.

"Look . . . whoever you are, Megaman RX, I can't let you kill everyone. That isn't a end of the war; it's a start of a bigger one."  
  
"Then kill me Zero. Because that is the only way I'll stop."

Zero opened his eyes again and shook his head.

"I don't want to kill you."  
  
"Then join me. All you'd have to do to join me is kill the forsaken."  
  
As he spoke the words 'kill the forsaken' he pointed at Kathryn, who was behind him. Zero activated his beam saber at once.

  
"No. Now I know you're nothing like X except in appearances."  
  


RX only smirked more.

  
"What? You could kill Iris but you can't kill her?"

Zero's head moved upward, he stared at RX and looked into his dark eyes.

"You bastard."

Zero leapt upward, but before he could even get close to Megaman, RX's buster had fired a shot into Zero's chest, knocking him back down. He cried out in pain, and closed his eyes.

Kathryn screamed, and in a second she was knelt down at Zero's side. RX only smirked wider and aimed at her.

"Don't Rock."

There was a clicking noise, Kat looked up, and RX turned his head behind him. Tai Light stood; a energy rifle in his hand, beside him was Blues who had his state-of-the-art buster aimed right at Megaman's head. Behind them was a hover bike they'd used to get here.

Megaman was no longer smirking. He stared at Protoman and Tai with pure, untapped loathing in his eyes.

"Rock, Or whoever you are, just get the hell out of here."  
  
Blues was speaking in a icy cold voice. RX stared at him for a moment, and then he laughed.

"Blues, Blues, Blues. You old fool. How about you? Zero won't join me, so will you?"  
  
"Dr. Wily asked me the same thing. I told him yes, and a week later I betrayed him and saved the life of a little girl named Kalinka Cossack. I won't waste a week this time. No I won't join you."

RX sighed, and then he smiled again.

"There used to be a game called 'baseball'. It hasn't been played in over 1000 years, but I think we all remember the three strikes rule. I'll ask you and Zero two more times to join me before I kill you."  
  
Megaman said this, and then he warped away in a flash of blue and silver light. It wouldn't be the last time they saw him, he would ask them two more times, what answers they gave, well that's another story . . .


	7. Zero's Nightmares

**Two Robots, Red as Blood**

**By King Salad**

**Rated**: PG-13 (May Change To **R**)

**MM Series**:** Classic, Zero******

**Summary**: Protoman kills Wily, only to be frozen in time for centuries, and he awakes to a war torn world that needs a hero. Now Blues must join with the last of his enemy's creations to battle man and machine alike to save what's left of this frozen world. . .

**Author's Notes**:** Chappie Seven…**

I must apologize for lack of updates in so long, but I've been kind of busy, and my free time has been devoted to other things, now I'm back and the story will be picked up again.

**B**lues was bent low in the fluffy white snow, on the right side of Zero. On his left was Kathryn, her eyes red with tears. Tai was talking to some soldiers who had arrived from Cyneburga not long ago.

It had been six hours since the event in which 'Megaman' RX had appeared before Blues and Zero and had gotten into the fight. Zero was still unresponsive, but he wasn't dead, which was good.

Tai had been making various repairs on him between his briefings to the Rider's Troops who had been riding up to find them. All the while muttering things like "Musta been one hell ova buster cannon" and "That RX must be strong to do this to Zero."

Kat was in an uproar, she had seen Zero battle hundreds of times and he was the strongest warrior in the entire Rider's army, and now this RX had defeated him in only one buster shot. 

Blues then stood and walked over to Tai, something had been nagging at his mind, an idea, a crazy idea, but still an idea.

"Tai, you're files on the Maverick Wars."  
  
"What about them?"  
  
The brown haired war chief and scientist turned around, but did not move, nor did he speak. Blues shook his head, he had to ask.

"You're files say that during the Maverick Wars, X found several pods containing images of Dr. Light. They had pre-recorded upgrades for him and they could think on their own. Now you're records say that the pods were all destroyed but one, one that had Dr. Light's mind recorded on it, and was used for advice."  
  
Tai nodded. This indeed had been done.

  
"What's your point?"  
  
"Where is that pod now?"  
  


Tai had to think about that. He shook his head; he had no clue where the pod was now. Likely he'd have it on the computer back at his lab in Cyneburga.

"I can find out. Why Blues?"  
  
"Why? Mainly because if this pod has an artificial Dr. Light inside that can think and react to things, I want to see him."

Tai nodded. He decided it was best if he didn't argue. Blues was not a soldier in the Rider's of Freedom, but he had saved Kathryn and Zero's lives. And that deserved some help.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Hours passed, and it was dark now. Zero was awake again, lying in the infirmary of Cyneburga's main round dome, the lab. Kathryn had stayed at his side the entire time since they'd arrived. Tai and Blues had been in the lab, going over thousands of files looking for Dr. Light's pod.

Kathryn was in a small chair at the side of Zero's bed. The blond haired reploid was lying, not speaking right now, but just looking at Kathryn.

The dreams were coming again. He could still see it all.

_"X! Where the hell you been?"_

_Zero was standing at the space platform. Colonel was dead, Zero had just killed him. Over the last few days, Zero had done battle with four very evil maverick reploids, Jet Stingray, __Split__ Mushroom, Slash Beast and Frost Walrus, the battles had been hard but Zero was fighting for a cause. He did not know that X himself and his new friend, Double, had done battle with four enemies of their own. Now their paths had crossed at last._

_"Busy Z, very busy. Did you kill Colonel?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then I think we've been busy with the same thing. Repliforce escaped. We have to get after them!"  
  
_

_"Yeah, yeah we have to."_

Zero opened his eyes again. He hated them. Damn dreams. Stupid damn dreams. It had been over 800 years ago, but he couldn't get those two weeks out of his head.

_They were in the weapon now, running down the steel plated path. In front of them was a young female reploid, holding a ball of purple energy. The only thing left of her brother, Colonel. Her name was Iris._

_"Iris!"  
  
Zero stopped and cried out, X had raised his buster but Zero pushed him aside._

_"Iris, what are you doing here?"  
  
"You fought with my brother."_

_Zero didn't have time for this. They had to stop General._

_  
"Yes I did Iris, but I had too. Please . . . "  
  
"Had too . . . yes I understand. You had no choice. And neither do I."_

_Zero watched in horror as his love, Iris, the wonderful girl he'd fallen for had now become a horrible beast of destruction._

_  
"I won't fight you Iris!"  
  
Zero turned around, only to find X was down the corridor, locked in battle with a yellow robot that looked like some monster form of Double. He didn't have time to worry about this, though._

_"Iris! Please!"  
  
_

"Who is she?"  
  
Zero opened his eyes again, finding himself back in the infirmary. Kathryn had a odd grin on her face, somewhere between happy and sad.

  
"What?"  
  
"Who is she Zero? Iris. You were talking in your sleep. And that's the same name that RX said. Who is she?"  
  
Zero sighed.

"A girl I knew a long time ago, that's all."  
  


"Did you love her?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
"I killed her."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Zero shook his head.

  
"I wish I could blame it on Sigma, or General or Colonel or one of them, but I can't. I killed her because I had to Kat. Now please don't ask me any more."  
  


_Zero stared into her eyes, she was so weak now. The battle had drained her so much._

_"I just . . . wanted to live in a world full of reploids . . . with you."_

_"Iris. There is no world for reploids only. It's just a fantasy."  
  
"I know . . . but I wanted to believe it . . ."  
  
_

_"Iris . . ."  
  
"Goodbye Zero."  
  
"Iris. Iris. Iris! Iris! IRIS!"  
  
_

Zero wasn't asleep now. But he could still hear her voice. They say time heals all wounds, but after 800 years, the wound from Iris was not only unhealed, but still bleeding.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"I found it!"  
  
Tai was still reading the old files on the computer, Blues was behind him, a wire connecting him straight to the databanks, searching for himself in a way only a reploid can.

Blues turned to the brown haired youth.  
  
"I found the pod."  
  
Blues nodded and wrote down the directions.  
  
"I'll leave tomorrow morning."  
  
"No, wait a couple days. Zero will want to go with you."  
  
"No. He'll slow me down."  
  
Tai shook his head.

  
"No he won't. Blues, please, take Zero with you."  
  
"Fine. But if he slows me down I go on without him."  
  


Tai was about to speak again when a high, razor-sharp buzzing echo cut him off. It was an alarm.

  
"Damn!"  
  
Tai dashed over to the window, Blues did not budge, but he did turn his head.   
  
Outside there were sinister shapes in the skies. Reploids, Reploids with wings, and Sabers. They were soaring over the city, looking down. Seven shapes. The Lucky Seven.

Then they started dropping the bombs, explosions were blasting up all around. Vivid crimson flames were licking the sky with their yellow tongues and illuminating the seven shapes with ghostly lights.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Zero was holding Kathryn's hand, he was afraid. Seeing Kathryn attacked, seeing her almost killed, and remembering Iris, had made him afraid. He loved Kathryn, and he knew he'd lose her. He always lost people he cared about. Iris, X, Sigma, everyone in his live that he cared about, or respected, or befriended would become his enemy and die.

That's when the alarms sounded; Kathryn opened the window and saw the seven shapes dropping bombs. The fire. The death.   
  
'_What the hell?_' Zero thought. '_First some new Megaman steals a REA battleship and attacks the city, and now the Lucky Seven are attacking a civilian town. Damnit!'_

Zero activated his Z-saber, but Kathryn shook her head, her long crimson hair fluttering in the breeze from the window.  
  
"You're weak Z, let the guards handle this."  
  


Zero was about to argue when a bright blue saber jetted through the steel door of the infirmary. Kat screamed and Zero pulled himself up in pain.

Seven was there, but this time, unlike before, it was the real seven, and not RX in a disguise.

  
"Hey kiddies, having fun?"  
  
Zero was much too weak to fight Seven, and Seven knew it.

"Hey there Z. Now we're not after you, we've just been ordered to take Ms. Light with us."  
  
Kathryn reached inside her jacket and when she pulled her hand back out she held a small blaster gun in her hand. It fired at Seven and collided with his shoulder, the crimson beam crashing into Seven's jade body armor.

"Don't do that."  
  
Seven raised his buster arm and fired a shot into Kat's chest. She screamed and hit the ground, passed out. Zero charged at Seven, but Seven's beam saber hit Zero under his arm and sent him falling to the floor.  
  
"You old fool. If The Boss didn't say he wanted you alive I'd--"  
  
What he'd do, Zero never did find out. Because at that time the buster shot from Blues' arm cannon hit Seven square in his back and the green reploid flew over Zero's body and hit a wall on the other side. Blues rolled into the room, grabbed Zero's Z-saber where he dropped it, and when he came out of the roll he was right in front of Seven, who had raised his blue beam saber high, but Blues shoved the green Z-saber into Seven's chest and the reploid with wings screamed.

"Bastard!"  
  
Seven fell over dead, his body exploding with flames. Neither Zero nor Kat saw what happened, but Blues sat on his knees, panting, the Z-saber in his hand as he watched Seven die.

The other Six warriors, after learning that their leader had been killed, tossed a few more bombs and left the city in a hurry. Tai found his sister and his friend lying in the infirmary floor, and soon later they were moved to the infirmary beds.

And as it all happened, the blue bomber, Megaman RX, was standing on a hill watching Cyneburga. He had an odd smirk on his face. . .

* * * * * * * * * * *

**Author's Notes**:  
  
A few changes to stuff I wrote before, that I had wrong, and a few notes.

1) Earlier in the story I said Reploids and humans could not have children together, well as it turns out, they can. I was wrong. 

2) As for Dr. Light's pod being able to interact, well, in Megaman X-4 the pod is talking about the war with Repliforce, which is what leads me to believe this, because if it couldn't interact with the current times and change things, then how'd it know about Repliforce?  
  
  



End file.
